Boot or horn?

[Gravity Tester]

Spyug,
Glad things worked out OK and you are here to tell us about it. As you have stated being seen is better then being heard. So might I suggest a head light modulator, put that on the high beam circiut people will see you better. Not that being seen is an excuse for defensive driving but they work.

Pat

[Eli69]

i watched my brother kick the door on a blue-hairs cage once. same basic situation. i guess it's not really the preferred action but i bet it makes an impression that just won't be forgotten. some folks just don't think about bikes ever.

[Colorado85gs550]

i watched my brother kick the door on a blue-hairs cage once. same basic situation. i guess it's not really the preferred action but i bet it makes an impression that just won't be forgotten. some folks just don't think about bikes ever.

I'm sure it will make a BIG statement when that cager writes down your license plate number and calls the cops too

I think it has been said enough already that this is NOT something to do! We've all heard the stories, we've suggested what could happen, and I know from first view what can happen if you kick the cage without putting much thought into it first. I watched another biker do it, and in doing so lost control of his bike and put it down! The cage he kicked never stopped to help......I asked him what he was thinking when I pulled in behind him on my bike and he shook his head and said..."I wasn't!"

I think we've beat this thread to death on this subject enough.....

HORN wins!! Light mod can help!! Clothing/Equipment colors work!! Defensive driving a must!!

[Skateguy50]

You got to be careful who's door you kick though, yesterday I had to go into town (Boston) to see my wife's concert. Well I had her mom following me and at one light I waited for green at the stop line, oh was in a car for this trip. Anyways as it turned green a car that was parked next to me on the right turned on and gassed it trying to cut me off crossing the intersection, I hit the horn and kept my position and she cut off my mother in law behind me and got between us.

If I was on the bike I definitely would have been tempted to swing my size 12 boot at the car... but as I looked in my mirror I saw shiny blue lights behind the grill and the extra antennas in the back. Luckily they undercover cop knew pretty much they cut me off and left it at that and moved on, but if I kicked the cops door I bet it would not have ended well for me.

When we got to the show I had a good laugh about it, guess her mom was swearing at the car too till she saw the hidden lights in the back lol

[spyug]

All valid comments folks. It really isn't smart or safe to take a boot to a cage and I don't advocate it. As I originally mentioned, it was all done on reflex. Some people are good at staying calm and not reacting but most of us just lash out. What I was trying to get across is try and overcome this instinct as it could turn out badly.

In thinking it all over for the umpteenth time I believe I was just a victim of circumstances and if I'd have been a little slower or faster pulling out I wouldn't have been in the position where a nitwit could sideswipe me.

As all of life is one big learning curve I'm filing it in the "something else I just learned" and moving on.

ride safe everyone.
Cheers,
Spyug

[Eli69]

just a thought: if they didn't see the bike how are they gonna see yer license plate?

[Colorado85gs550]

just a thought: if they didn't see the bike how are they gonna see yer license plate?

seriously?

if you draw that kind of attention to yourself they will see your license plate

[Jakob]

Anpther thought...

As some of you know already, I used to have a problem in dealing with cager's stupidity. I would post a link to the thread explaining this in more detail but it seems to be gone but as I said, Prozac and Lithium (among others) are GREAT things.

Anway, whenever my wife and I are out somewhere in the car and see a car riding a motorcyclist's a$$, we do what we can (safely) to get our car in between that car and the bike. Then we make sure the bike has enough room between them and us in case of the unexpected (i.e., Geico squirrel)

Most times we can get beside them and wave them on but other times we get beside the rider at a stop light if possible, roll down the window and explain what we intend to do. They say thanks, goose it when the light changes and that gives us ample room to get in behind them.

This has worked well for us so far and have yet to have a rider tell us 'No thanks'

~~>Jakob
1981 750EX